'I reach out for the daughter I will never hold again': Impactful stories on gun violence
Four people impacted by gun violence shared their stories with the crowd in moving statements.
Abbey Clements of Newtown, Connecticut, a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, said she carries that "horrific day" with her, when 20 children and six of her colleagues were shot.
"They should still be here," she said.
![PHOTO: Lucy McBath (C), Democrat from Georgia, speaks about gun violence alongside others who have been affected by gun violence, L-R, Abbey Clements, Kim Rubio, Melody McFadden and Edgar Vilchez in Chicago, Aug. 22, 2024.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/e79e2066-fccb-4bb6-9a62-15ce4ec0962f/gun-violence-gty-thg-240822_1724377172590_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg)
Kim Rubio of Uvalde, Texas, whose daughter was one of 19 children killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting, recounted that day through tears.
"I reach out for the daughter I will never hold again," she said, as the crowd yelled out her daughter's name.
Melody McFadden of Charleston, South Carolina, said her niece's murder on a beach remains unsolved.
"I'll keep fighting," she said.
Edgar Vilchez of Chicago, Illinois, recounted when his high school classmate was shot in school.
"Instead of worried about taking a test, I started worrying about living to take another test," he said.
He said he learned a lot that day: "How to run, how to hide and drop."
Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath said the stories "strengthen their resolve" to fight for the "safer futures that we all deserve."